A number of devices have been developed to assist swimmers in learning how to swim, improving the swimming ability of experienced swimmers and to provide aids for water based exercise programs for fitness and rehabilitation after injury. Kickboards are one such device. The kickboard is typically made from a material which will float and helps support a swimmer, water exerciser or rehab patient in the water.
The use of kickboards is particularly helpful to swimmers engaged in competitive swimming. In competitive swimming, there are various leg kicking techniques associated with different swimming strokes. Kickboards are used to help an experienced swimmer develop a stronger leg kick for swimming competitions.
However, there are several problems associated with kickboard known in the art. One problem is that competitive swimmers typically spend many hours training in a pool. One primary use of a kickboard is to provide resistance to a swimmer, in order to strengthen the swimmer's legs while maintaining good body position. However, most kickboards do not provide much resistance for a swimmer. Most kickboards known in the art are smooth on both sides and do not provide much drag in the water.
Another problem as a swimmer's ability improves, more resistance is needed, otherwise has the swimmer must spend more time in the pool to obtain the same training effects using the kickboard. However, most kickboards know in the art do not provide additional or configurable resistance as a swimmer's ability improves. The same is true for exercisers and rehab patients.
Another problem is that swimmers, exercisers and rehab patients currently have to stop from time to time to drink water to stay hydrated and avoid dehydration. This disrupts swimming training, exercising and rehab activities. Runners and athletes in other sports drink while exercising. However, drinking is difficult in the swimming pool while training, exercising or rehabbing.
The have been attempts to solve some of the problems associated with kickboards. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,872,111, entitled “Kickboard,” that issued to Katz, et al. teaches “a kickboard comprising a relatively thin, buoyant board no longer than twenty six inches. The board has a back edge and a front edge joined by side edges. The board also has top and bottom surfaces joined by the front, back and side edges. Two, spaced-apart, forearm receiving depressions are provided in the top surface of the board, the depressions extending forwardly from the back edge of the board over a major portion of the length of the board to near the front edge. The depressions help to retain the forearms of a swimmer using the board on the board. The kickboard has hand grips located in front of the forearm receiving depressions. Preferably, at least the front portions of the side edges are bent toward each other, and the hand grips are located on the bent front portions, preferably just in front of, and aligned with, the forearm receiving depressions. Gripping the bent front portions allows the wrists to remain in a normal position relative to the forearms thus reducing stress.”
U.S. Pat. No. 6,840,831, entitled “Kickboard,” that issued to Katz et al., teaches “a kickboard having a rigid base of generally thin, rectangular, shape. At least one shallow cutout or depression is formed in the top surface of the base, the depression extending rearwardly from near the front edge of the base and being at least wide enough and long enough to receive a swimmer's arm when the swimmer grips the front edge of the base with his hand. A layer of cushioning material can be provided in the depression to cushion the arm of the swimmer while gripping the board by the front edge. The front edge of the board is rounded and at least partly cushioned as well. A groove is provided in the bottom surface of the base positioned to receive the finger-tips of the swimmer while gripping the front edge. A second groove can be provided in the top surface of the base, just behind the finger-tip groove, for receiving a portion of the palm of the swimmer's hand while gripping the front edge.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,834, entitled “Ergonomic kickboard,” that issued to Cole et al. teaches “kickboard made of an elongate board having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the board has front, rear, and side edges that border the top and bottom surfaces. The bottom surface of the board is substantially convex in shape within the front and side edges. The board has a pair of elongate channels of defined depth formed in the bottom surface. The channels extend longitudinally from the rear edge toward the front edge and taper in depth near the front edge. The channels provide a variety of comfortable, ergonomically designed hand grip positions and also provide stability to the kickboard.”
U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,429, entitled “Kickboard,” that issued to Gravlin teaches “a kickboard for a swimmer which has a rigid, smoothly contoured, buoyant body symmetrical about a longitudinally extending notional plane perpendicular to its top surface and passing through a center thereof. When referenced to the kickboard being supported by a flat horizontal support surface, the top surface is inclined rearwardly, along the intersection with the notional plane, from a front peripheral edge and upwardly from the support surface reaching a maximum and then curving downwardly toward the sides and in a rearwardly direction. A central curvilinear opening extends from proximal the maximum with opening peripheral side edges extending rearwardly, spaced away from respective outer peripheral side edges of the body so as to provide contoured elongated arm receptacles. A bottom surface of the body follows a similar profile as the overlying top surface.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,638, entitled “Kickboard for swimmers,” that issued to Winters teaches “a variable drag and buoyancy kickboard for a swimmer comprising a first portion, a second portion, and a plurality of pairs of hand grasping locations. The second portion extends from a lateral edge of the first portion. The first portion defines a first planar surface and the second portion defines a second planar surface. The first and second planar surfaces form an obtuse angle. The first and second portions having a periphery upon which the hand grasping locations are disposed. Each pair of hand grasping locations are laterally opposite each other on the periphery. Grasping different pairs of hand grasping locations varies the flow characteristics of the kickboard by varying its position in the water. Thus, the drag of the kickboard may be varied.”
U.S. Pat. No. 4,362,518, entitled “Combined kick board and arm stroke swimming practice device,” that issued to Boissiere teaches “the practice device has convexly rounded streamlined sides which flank a flat thinner center portion to provide hollows at each face which generally conform to the insides of the thighs of the user and is held between the thighs during arm stroke practice. During leg kick practice the sides of the device are held by the hands of the swimmer for use as a “kick board”. Hand hold recesses can be provided on the sides to facilitate gripping during kick-board use, and the sides of the hollows can diverge to better conform to the configuration of the insides of the thighs.”
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,068, entitled “Swimmer's Aid,” that issued to Carbonero teaches “the swimmer's aid is a generally S-shaped board having means on the upper surface thereof for engagement with the hands of a swimmer. The swimmer holds the board in front of him with his arms extended and propels himself by means of kicking his legs. The rearward end of the board is downturned to act as a drag. The forward end of the board is upturned to minimize any tendency of the board to dive into the water during use. The swimmer's aid is a practice device intended to assist in improving a swimmer's ability.”
However, none of these solutions solve all of the problems associated with kickboards. Thus, it is desirable to provide a kickboard for swimmers, exercisers and rehaber with resistance. It is also desirable to provide a resistance kickboard that allows a user to stay hydrated without leaving stopping use of the resistance kickboard.